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Complex mechanism of site‐specific DNA replication termination in fission yeast
Author(s) -
Codlin Sandra,
Dalgaard Jacob Z.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/cdg330
Subject(s) - biology , mechanism (biology) , dna replication , schizosaccharomyces , fission , genetics , control of chromosome duplication , yeast , dna , replication (statistics) , origin recognition complex , eukaryotic dna replication , microbiology and biotechnology , schizosaccharomyces pombe , saccharomyces cerevisiae , virology , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics , neutron
A site‐specific replication terminator, RTS1 , is present at the Schizosaccharomyces pombe mating‐type locus mat1 . RTS1 regulates the direction of replication at mat1 , optimizing mating‐type switching that occurs as a replication‐coupled recombination event. Here we show that RTS1 contains two cis ‐acting sequences that cooperate for efficient replication termination. First, a sequence of ∼450 bp containing four repeated 55 bp motifs is essential for function. Secondly, a purine‐rich sequence of ∼60 bp without intrinsic activity, located proximal to the repeats, acts cooperatively to increase barrier activity 4‐fold. Our data suggest that the trans ‐acting factors rtf1p and rtf2p act through the repeated motifs and the purine‐rich element, respectively. Thus, efficient site‐specific replication termination at RTS1 occurs by a complex mechanism involving several cis ‐acting sequences and trans ‐acting factors. Interestingly, RTS1 displays similarities to mammalian rDNA replication barriers.